A portable work light is a light that has a dedicated power source and can be carried from one location to another without the use of an electrical cord. Portable work lights are available in a variety of designs. For example, a flashlight (one type of portable work light) typically has a cylindrical shape. One end of the flashlight retains a lighting element, and the opposite end houses several batteries. Flashlights and other portable lights may be used to illuminate work areas that are inaccessible to a fixed power source or cannot be reached by an extension cord. These lights may also be used to supplement or intensify the existing lighting at the work areas.
Traditional flashlights and other portable lights typically have a handle or grip by which the portable light may be engaged and positioned to illuminate an intended work area. In some situations, the desired work activity or task may be performed by one person while another person handles the portable work light and positions the light beam from the portable work light onto the work area. For some tasks, a person might hold the flashlight with one hand and hold a tool or work piece with the other hand.
There are also certain tasks that demand that the person use both hands to handle a tool and/or one or more work pieces. For these tasks, an ordinary flashlight may be propped up against a support and braced so as to direct the light beam from the light to the work area or work piece. If the work area or work piece is on a horizontal surface, the flashlight may also be laid down on the horizontal surface, near the work area or work piece, and braced against a solid support (e.g., between two books or next to a tool box) so as to maintain its position and so as to illuminate the work area or work piece. If the work area changes or the work piece must be moved, the flashlight must be repositioned and re-braced to illuminate the new work area or the new location of the work piece.